FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SMITH & FONG LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER PALMWOOD EXTERIOR CLADDING

 

PalmShell™ Cladding is the Company’s First Foray into Exterior Finishes for the Building Envelope Using Naturally Durable and Sustainable Indian Black Palm

 

San Francisco, CA – Jan. 18, 2022 – Smith & Fong Co. today introduced PalmShell™, a highly durable and sustainable palmwood cladding product for commercial and custom residential projects.

 

Derived from the same Indian black palm resource as the company’s Durapalm interior products, PalmShell provides an entirely new, exciting look for modern exterior wall applications, particularly rainscreen systems.

 

“PalmShell is a non-wood, all-natural cladding, the first of its kind in the Western market,” Smith & Fong founder and CEO Dan Smith said. “The material’s durability and capacity to adapt to moisture make it ideal for humid or wet climates.”

 

The new cladding range is made from solid palmwood with an easy-to-install groove/lap system—ideal for rainscreen or exterior cladding applications. Given its inherent weather-resistant quality, PalmShell can be installed and finished using standard exterior grade clear finishes or natural products such as linseed oil for a raw natural look.

 

“There are only a handful of woods that weather well outdoors, and there has been a growing demand for an exterior-use Durapalm product,” Smith said. “We are excited to launch this product and to enter the expanding market for rainscreen and exterior cladding materials.”

 

Black palm is similar in density and hardness to Ipe and is harvested from both agricultural and residential environments. Frequently grown near homes and used for property demarcations, black palm timber, thatch and fruit provide a wide range of uses and leave an indelible mark on rural India. Like other exotic woods, palm weathers over time, taking on a rich deep patina.

 

PalmShell groove/lap cladding is milled in 96” lengths with a 3 ¼” width and ¾” thickness. It will be in stock next month; samples are available now.

Palm is a highly sustainable natural material, durable and easy to work with. PalmShell is produced 100% urea-formaldehyde-free and can contribute to USGBC’s LEED^® Credit for Low-Emitting Materials. Other credits may also apply.

 

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S.-based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products, under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SMITH & FONG RELEASES NEW 2022 DURAPALM PRODUCT CATALOG 

Featuring the Company’s Most Expansive Palm Product Range to Date, the Catalog Includes Flooring, Wall & Ceiling Treatments, Lumber and Cladding, Along with – for the First Time – Indian Black Palm Interior and Exterior Finishes

San Francisco, CA – Jan. 3, 2022 – Smith & Fong Co. today announced the release of its 2022 Durapalm product line catalog, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith.

This catalog for interior designers and contractors features the widest array of palm products that Smith & Fong has offered in the company’s history, including wall and ceiling products, panel and plywood products, flooring offerings, lumber, and veneer.

2022 will also mark the North American introduction of Indian black palm, a new raw material that Smith & Fong has sourced in Asia.

“Nothing in the designer’s palette has quite the earthy elegance, touch and feel of a natural Indian black palm surface,” Smith said. “This has been 20 years in the making, but we are very excited bring this material to the design world.”

Indian black palm possesses a striking range of grains, colors and textures rarely found in a single natural material. Sustainable, ubiquitous in India but little explored elsewhere, it offers new opportunity for creative expression, Smith said.

“Centuries of imperial experience coupled with contemporary, third-party testing have shown its potential for exterior cladding, outdoor furnishings and even construction,” he said. “We strongly believe that palmwood’s day has arrived, and we are truly energized to see where design and innovation will take this beautiful material in years to come.”

Palm is a highly sustainable natural material, durable and easy to work with. The new Durapalm range is produced 100% urea-formaldehyde-free, meeting or surpassing ULEF (ultra-low emitting formaldehyde) standards under CARB ll. With palm sourced from India, Durapalm products can contribute to the USGBC’s LEED^® Credit for Low-Emitting Materials. Other credits may also be available.

 

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco bay area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm branding in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

 

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Media contact:         

John McIsaac

503-481-9621 (West Coast)

john@mcisaacpr.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MICHELIN-RATED THIERRY CHOCOLAT BRINGS FRENCH PATISSERIES TO VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA 

Multiple Outlets Feature Contoured Durapalm Palm Paneling and Natural Stone Floors to Evoke the Look and Feel of Cafes from Owner Thierry Busset’s Native France

San Francisco, CA – Nov 15, 2021 – Michelin-rated Thierry Chocolat recently opened a second contemporary French patisserie café in the Mount Pleasant district of Vancouver, British Columbia.

The first Thierry Chocolat café, which was the design platform for the new Mount Pleasant location, was created by Vancouver, BC-based, multidisciplinary design firm Bricault Design. Situated along a bourgeoning stretch of high-end boutiques, the renovation of an existing space, which previously housed a deli, transformed a banal street-level office tower storefront into an inviting and playfully elegant space. Seen from the street, a teak-lined patio deck with warm burgundy canopy provides a theater for street-side cafe life.

Perforated with a grid of miniature portholes, an oversized Durapalm palmwood door provides a grand entrance to an intimately-scaled cafe space, which is in turn enveloped in contoured Durapalm walls and natural stone floors. Durapalm tabletops were custom-fabricated for the first café, and this design has carried through to the Mount Pleasant location as well.

“Durapalm provides a sensuously ‘chocolaty’ aesthetic, with tambour paneling curving around the entire interior,” Bricault said. “It’s very attractive, and to date its durability has stood the test of time.”

The subtle print of a lacy doily on the ceiling is a nod to the intricate, handmade processes at work on site. Custom glass and marble display cases contain a dazzling array of macarons, chocolates, pastries, and cakes, while a custom refrigeration display is integrated into a ribbon of curved retail walls.

Serving as a backdrop for the pastry counter, a large picture window to the chocolate kitchen features the behind-the-scenes work of Busset and his staff, while another picture window beyond reveals a pastry kitchen and the multiple layers of production required to supply the cafe and retail operation.

A central component of the look and feel of the cafe includes the integrated graphic and packaging design. Black cherry and silver serve as the primary colors for most of the packaging, while the colors, shape, and graphic treatment of macaron boxes were inspired by the variegated patterns of the celebrated French confectioneries inside. Designed in tandem, the interior, packaging, and graphic design—all created by Bricault—are fully integrated to showcase Busset’s exquisite creations.

 

About Durapalm

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. pivoting from their success in laminated bamboo, (Plyboo), entered the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000. Today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SMITH & FONG INTRODUCES THREE NEW DURAPALM FLOORING COLORS FOR MID-2021

New Colors Bring Light to Expanding Durapalm Floor Offerings

San Francisco, CA – Aug 16, 2021 – Sustainable interior finishes pioneer Smith & Fong Co. today announced the introduction of three “bring in the light” colors and a new sustainable, engineered platform to its expanding line of specialty palm flooring products for 2021.

“These new colors are designed to bring the light in and define the palm structure in a new and energized format,” said Smith & Fong founder and CEO Dan Smith. “It is a substantial flooring offering in every way from the uniqueness of the material, texture and design to its sturdy and wear-resistant structure.”

• Brush Bark comes with a faint brushed texture to the surface in a light earthen tone reflective of organic materials
• Seashell captures the natural deeper tones in palm wood with a bright white that blends the contrasting colors to produce a cool neutral balance
• Whittlewood brings a sandy tone to the under-fibers in the material, bringing forward the naturally vibrant texture and grain of palm

Grounded in Smith & Fong’s history of working with non-wood materials, the new offerings are produced with an engineered strand bamboo core, which adds stability as well as density and increased wear-resistance to the product.

Palm and bamboo are highly sustainable natural materials, durable and easy to work with. The new Durapalm flooring is produced 100% urea-formaldehyde-free, meeting or surpassing ULEF (ultra-low emitting formaldehyde) standards under CARB ll. Available in both click-lock floating or traditional tongue and groove profiles, planks feature a thick, durable palm wear-layer over a sustainable stranded bamboo base. Dimensions are 9/16” x 3.5” in random lengths up to five feet.

With palm sourced from India, Durapalm flooring can contribute to the USGBC’s LEED^® Credit for Low-Emitting Materials. Other credits may also be available.

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco bay area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm branding in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SMITH & FONG INTRODUCES PALMTHEORY™ WALL PANELS FOR COMMERCIAL, RETAIL, HOSPITALITY AND RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS 

One of the Company’s Most Daring Product Offerings to Date, PalmTheory™ Grain Patterns Direct the Eye to a Compelling Dimensionality Illusion

 

San Francisco, CA – March 31, 2021 – Smith & Fong today announced the introduction of PalmTheory™, a range of striking, configurable palm panels for commercial, high-end residential, retail and hospitality interiors, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith.

PalmTheory panels are available in eight configurable grain patterns that explore the use of abstract geometry, both organic and refined. As different as each pattern is, all are grounded within the discipline of the isosceles triangle. A selection of preset designs is provided for designers as a departure point for further creativity and exploration; each can be further manipulated to create new and different patterns.

The PalmTheory panels are constructed of individually cut isosceles triangles, encompassing four different grain directions, artfully assembled into 4’x8’ dimension panels for easy installation. Panels and patterns can be assembled to fit any size surface from 4’x8’ up to very large installations.

Durapalm panels come standard with a Class C fire-rating and can be upgraded to Class B, if specifications require. Additionally, these panels meet or surpass ULEF, (ultra-low emitting formaldehyde) standards under CARB ll. Durapalm panels can contribute to USGBC’s LEED^® credits for Low-Emitting Materials. 

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

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Note: (Patterns shown in image are in an 8’x16’ format, constructed from four 4’x8’ panels.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SMITH & FONG INTRODUCES SUGAR LINEAR PALM PANELS FOR WALLS, CEILINGS AND FIXTURES

Durapalm’s Latest Panel Features a Linear Grain Pattern with an Almost 3-D Visual Texture

San Francisco, CA – March 1, 2021 – Smith & Fong today announced the introduction of Durapalm Sugar Linear Panels, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith.

“We are really excited to offer this new linear look in the sugar palm range of plywood and panel goods,” Smith said. “It is hard to describe the radiant, multidimensional visual aesthetic of this product. In a line of one-of-a-kind palm-based products, this one still stands out.”

Produced from Indian black palm (sugar palm), the graining of this panel is derived from the varying color range of stem wood available from this palm species. Colors of black coffee and nutmeg tones with eggshell whites make this a really stunning look for walls, cabinetry and store fixtures.

With a solid bamboo core for strength and stability, this 100% non-wood panel product is durable, versatile and accessible for fabrication. “Installers can finish it with almost anything,” said Smith, “But we prefer natural oils or hand-rubbed poly finishes that give it a naturally tactile look and feel.”

Durapalm Sugar Linear panels are manufactured in ¾” thickness in dimensions of 48”x72” or 48”x96”. Panels come Class C fire-rated and can be upgraded to Class B, if specifications require. Additionally these panels surpass the requirements under CARB II formaldehyde emissions standards utilizing (ULEF) resins. Durapalm panels can contribute to USGBC’s LEED^® credits for Low-Emitting Materials.

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SMITH & FONG LAUNCHES ADVENTURE-INSPIRED WALL AND CEILING PANELS FOR 2021

Durapalm Designs Add Exotic, Luxury Aesthetic to Commercial or Residential Interiors

San Francisco, CA – Jan. 20, 2020 – Smith & Fong today announced the launch of six new, adventure-inspired wall and ceiling panels, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith.

“This new group represents some of the most dynamic, exotic wall and ceiling systems we’ve offered to date,” Smith said. “They depict a wholly unique, luxury aesthetic that’s ideal for high-end hospitality, commercial or residential environments.”

The new range comprises:

• Ironwood
  Inspired by the ageless durability and weathered dark patina of the Borneo ironwood.
• Tonga
  Derived from Polynesian designs and motifs, Tonga brings to any interior a sense of
  the exotic.
• Manali
  Influenced by the colors and textures of this Himalayan region.
• Agra
  Inspired by the Taj Mahal and the intricately carved walls and inlay work of this iconic building.
• Goa
  Reflective of the waves that wash the beaches of this fabled coastal resort.
• Malabar
  Derived from the rich cultural masala of this ancient spice trading region.

All Durapalm carved wall and ceiling panels are manufactured in the USA with imported and domestic materials. Panels are Class C fire-rated and surpass the requirements under CARB II formaldehyde emissions standards utilizing (ULEF) resins. Finished dimensions are 0.75”x47.75”x95.75”. Durapalm panels could contribute to USGBC’s LEED® credits for Low-Emitting Materials and Biobased Materials.

About Smith & Fong
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

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Contact: John McIsaac
503-481-9621 (West Coast)
john@mcisaacpr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SMITH & FONG RELAUNCHES DECOPALM FLOORING IN WIDE PLANK FORMAT

Following on the Heels of Six New Durapalm Flooring Products Released this Year, Deco Palm Flooring Emerges Again in a New Dimension, in Stock by Spring 2021,

SAN FRANCISCO – Dec. 1, 2020 – Smith & Fong Co. today announced the introduction and re-engineering of their popular Deco Palm flooring style in a wider, longer plank for 2021.

Comprising a thicker India black palm face veneer with a denser, strand-bamboo substrate, the new Deco Palm flooring will be sold in planks that measure 9/16″ x 6″ x 72”. The new substrate provides greater hardness and dimensional stability, and the long planks make the new flooring perfect for residential and commercial installations alike.

“The Deco Palm look is one of the more visually dynamic styles among our floor offerings,” Smith & Fong founder and CEO Dan Smith said. “The new Deco wide plank in 72” lengths will provide a versatile option for interiors that call for deep, rich, organic textures and patterns that seek to balance modern design with the tropical exotic.”

About Smith & Fong
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SMITH & FONG INTRODUCES NEW DURAPALM SOUND-MITIGATING CARVED PANELS

Durapalm Linear Sound Collection: Modern Design with Noise-Reduction

San Francisco, CA – October 20, 2020 – Sustainable interior finishes pioneer Smith & Fong Co. today announced a second range of Durapalm carved wall and ceiling panel systems for 2020—the Durapalm Sound Collection.

Similar in performance to the company’s Plyboo Sound panels, Durapalm achieves a noise-reduction coefficient up to 0.7, matching exotic and modern design elements with sound mitigation performance.

Durapalm Sound is available in four different finishes: Tahiti, Morocco, Sandakan and Marrakesh.

“This collection is really striking and it’s not what most individuals would expect in a noise-reducing panel,” Smith & Fong founder and CEO Dan Smith said. “It retains all the beauty of our other carved panels while absorbing nearly 70 percent of the noise in the space where it’s installed, making it ideal for office, Institutional or hospitality environments.”

All Durapalm carved wall and ceiling panels are manufactured in the USA with imported and domestic materials. Panels are Class C fire-rated and surpass the requirements under CARB II formaldehyde emissions standards utilizing (ULEF) resins. Finished dimensions are 0.75”x47.75”x95.75”. Durapalm panels can contribute to USGBC’s LEED^® credits for Low-Emitting Materials and Biobased Materials.

 

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SUGAR PALM SUSPENSION BRIDGE RISES IN MENDOCINO COUNTY

Two houses divided by a ravine; connected by a bridge

Elk, CA – Sept. 29, 2020 – Mendocino County in the 1960s and 1970s saw a large influx of creative young adventurers arriving from all over the country. This included writers and craftsmen, farmers and bohemians—a diverse group of creatives and makers seeking a new way of life. One couple and their children moved to Elk, CA, and moved into a previously built one-room cottage on one side of a ravine and began to build a family home on the other.

Once completed, the two structures were connected by a simple suspension footbridge made of redwood lumber sourced from the property. Over the years the bridge fell into disrepair and, for safety reasons, the cables where cut and the old bridge dropped to the ravine below.

In the spring of 2020, discussion of replacing the bridge and once again reconnecting the passage between the two structures began. The family was looking for something different from a materials perspective.

Durapalm (palmwood lumber) was a new and interesting material used primarily for interior design, but would it work for an outdoor application. Material testing performed at Oregon State University’s Wood Science and Engineering school assured everyone on the project that the Indian sugar palm lumber possessed both the hardness and durability, as well as the weather- and rot-resistance needed for the application.

Dustin Feider of Oakland-based O2Treehouse was hired to perform the design/engineering and building of the bridge, Dan Smith, founder of Smith & Fong Co., the manufacturer of Durapalm, produced the bridge treads and advised on the use of the material. As it was important to retain the sustainable aspect of the structure, reclaiming what wood could be salvaged from the old bridge was considered, but in the end, it was decided to leave it in the ravine to decompose back into the landscape.

The final choice of materials included reclaimed and salvaged redwood derived from other structures on the property, along with Indian sugar palm for the deck surface of the bridge. Cables, clips and stainless-steel mesh were employed to support the structure and create additional fall protection along the railing areas. Concrete footings, steel upright supports, and a decorative cement sheath replaced the simple redwood trunks of the original structure on either end of the bridge and were erected to hold the bridge in place. The redwood and sugar palm were then finish-treated with boiled linseed oil to give the wood a polished look.

The unique design of the bridge was inspired by the “double helix,” a groundbreaking discovery in the early 1950s used to describe a DNA molecule that made way for modern molecular biology. Today the bridge once again connects the cottage with the main home and, with it, all the memories and high times of Mendocino County in the ’60s and ’70s.

 

About Smith & Fong

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm brand in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.

 

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